US2684144A - Coin controlled lock mechanism - Google Patents

Description

July 20, 1954 H. BElMEL.

COIN coNTRoLLED Loox MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed NOV. 8, 1950 July 20, 1954 H. L. BEIMEL COIN CONTROLLED LOCK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 8, 1950 Patented July 20, 1954 ITED STATES TEN 'l`V OFFICE COIN CONTROLLED LOCK MECHANISM Henry lL. Beimel, Cambridge, Mass., assignor to American Locker Company, Inc., Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application November 8, 1950, Serial No.191,710

(Cl. 19d- 92) predetermined size in the lock.. Coins of smaller size deposited into prior locks of the nature herein disclosed passedthrough the lock and into the cash box. tained by customers have caused considerable dissatisfaction and ill will. The primary object of the invention herein resides in the provision of means for automatically returning such smaller coins to the customers and thereby eliminating this objection.

ll/ly improved lock is constructed to intercept only the coins of predetermined size, a return chute being provided for returning the smaller coins to the customers. The lock furthermore embodies means cooperating with the locking bolt for deiiectingthe intercepted coins into a coin receiving chamber when the bolt is moved from its normally retained position to the other position and the coin released. The production of an improved lock embodying these novel features comprises a further object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of preferred embodiments thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which: Fig. l is a front elevation of a lock embodying my invention, broken away to show the bolt in locking position,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof partially broken away,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view of the lock mechanism showing the parts in normal unlocked position,

Fig. 1i is a similar view showing the position of the parts when the lock has been turned to lock ing position and the intercepted coin released,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partially broken away, showing the deflecting of the intercepted coin into the coin receiving chamber,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary rear elevation of Fig. 5.

The invention is particularly applicable to coin controlled locks of the nature shown in Patent 1,640,605 and, for purposes of description, I have herein disclosed my improved lock mechanism as applied to a parcel checking cabinet and requiring the insertion of a twenty-live cent coin to Losses thus inadvertently sus releasethelock which-is normally held in the unlocked position of Fig. 3.

In theV drawings, @indicates generally a key cylinder equipped with the usual locking tumblers adaptedto be manipulated by a key l l which in the type Vof lock illustrated serves as an identifying checkfby which the customer may recoveror obtain access to the belongings which he has deposited in a parcel locker.

The key cylinderlis provided near its outer end with a locking bolt l2, adapted to be moved with the cylinder from the unlocked position shown in Fig. 3 to the locked position shown in Fig; l. A fragment ofV the front plate of the locker cabinet frame is shown in Fig. l and indicated by reference character i3. The front plate It of the lockproper is disposed over an opening in the plate i3, its lower end being provided with a lip l5 engaging the inner face of the plate i3 and its upper end being equipped with a lock i6 by which the plate I4 and the parts assembled thereonare detachably located in position in the cabi@ net. A recorder Il may be connected to the lock so as to be operated by each actuation of the lock, and whereby the number of lock actuations, and consequently the number of coins deposited, is recorded.

The front plate i4 is provided beneath the key cylinder with a coin slot i8, through which coins can be inserted edgewise into the coin receiving channel i9 rearwardly oi the plate. The lock illustrated is adapted to operate on twenty-live cent coins 2l but not on coins 23 of smaller size. When a twenty-ve cent coin is inserted it is held in the channel on and between a shoulder 20 and the laterally disposed end 22 of an arm 24 pivoted at 25 and, as thus supported, the coin is in position to be engaged by a feeler 26. The feeler is at the bottom end of a lever also pivoted at 25 and having an `arm 28 provided with a tooth 3b for engaging in a notch 32 of the lock cylinder. A spring 33 normally swings the lever in a direction engaging the tooth in the notch which thereupon serves to hold the lock n the unlocked position of Fig. 3.

The arm 24 is held in the coin retaining position by a spring 34 anchored at its bottom end and having its top end engaged with a laterally projecting portion 35 of the arm. A tooth 36 carried by the arm extends into a recess 38 in the lock cylinder. A coin held in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5 prevents entrance of the feeler into the coin channel, thereby preventing the tooth 3i) from entering the notch 32, with the result that the key cylinder is free to turn to 3 the locking position of Fig. 4. During this movement the cam shoulder ill of the recess 38 engages the tooth 36 and swings the arms 2li outwardly, thus releasing the coin.

Disposed beneath the coin channel or slot is a coin return chute d2 open at the front e3, and rearwardly and laterally of the chute i2 is a coin receiving chamber dit, the Wall 5 ci the chute providing a partition between the chute and chamber. The lock illustrated is normally in the unlocked position of Figs. 2 and 3 and when coins 23 smaller than twenty-live cent coins are inserted through the coin slot i3 they drop straight down into the return chute as illustrated in Fig. 2. The following described mechanism is provided for deflecting the twenty-five cent coins into the coin receiving chamber it when they a-re released from the end E2 of the arm 2.

Pivoted at t9 to a plate 46, supported on the lock frame 'i at d8, is a member 59 having a laterally extending free end 52 in the plane oi the coin slot. A link 5d connects the member 5G with a plate 55 keyed to rotate with the lock cylinder. When the lock is in the unlocked position (Fig. 2) the end 52 of the member 5! is disposed to one side ci the coin slot. When the lc-ck is in the locked position (Fig. 5) the end 52 is disposed beneath the coin slot in position to intercept the coin and deflect it rearwardly into the coin receiving chamber Gli.

It will now be apparent that coins smaller than twenty-ve cent coins inserted into the lock will drop straight through the coin slot and be returned to the patron as illustrated in Fig. 2. twenty-ve cent coin inserted into the coin slot will be intercepted by and supported on the shoulder 2i] and end 22 of the arm 2d. When the lock is turned to the locked position (Fig, 5) the me i-- ber 52 is brought to a position beneath the coin and the end 22 is Withdrawn to release the coin. The coin thereupon drops onto the member 52 and is deected into the coin chamber as illustrated in Fig. 5. A protective housing 58 mounted on the lock frame surrounds and protects the coin deflecting mechanism.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A coin controlled lock, comprising a locking bolt mounted for movement to and from locking and released positions, means including a latch normally retaining the bolt in one of said positions, means providing a coin receiving channel in the lock, means providing a coin return chute directly beneath the channel and a coin receiving chamber laterally thereof, means operatively associated with the bolt and disposed in the channel above the coin return chute for intercepting and holding a coin of predetermined size but ineffective to intercept a coin of smaller size and prevent its passage downwardly into the return chute when the bolt is in said one position, means including a feeler operative on a coin thus intercepted for rendering said latch inoperative, means operatively associated with the bolt for releasing the intercepted coin when the bolt is moved from said one position to the other position, and means movable to coin deiiecting position by movement of the bolt to said other position to intercept the released coin and deflect it into said laterally disposed chamber.

2. The coin controlled lock defined in claim 1 in which return movement or" the bolt moves the last named means away from said coin deilecting position.

References Cited in the file oi this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 515,437 Meyer Feb. 27, 1894 930,457 Buck Aug. 10, 1909 1,119,879 Rowse Dec. 8, 1914

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